


set up for a sequel Steve doesn't want to tell

by thatemofangirl



Series: AUgust 2020 [23]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU-gust 2020, Action, Adorable Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Alternate Universe - 1940s, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Bedtime Stories, Detective Noir, Detectives, Doctor Who References, Film Noir, Gen, Kidnapping, Minor Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Mystery, Not Canon Compliant, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark are Siblings (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), it’s kinda hinted at
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26090857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatemofangirl/pseuds/thatemofangirl
Summary: "It makes no sense, Buck," Steve huffed as he slammed a fist down on the files blanketing his desk. His hand covered the picture of the latest victim. This was the sixth woman to go missing. "They gotta be out there somewhere."Or, a detective story in which someone else sort of solves the case on their first try but we all love them anyway! Complete with twist ending.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), James "Bucky" Barnes & Peggy Carter, James "Bucky" Barnes & Peggy Carter & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter & Angie Martinelli, Peggy Carter & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Steve Rogers & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Series: AUgust 2020 [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858408
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	set up for a sequel Steve doesn't want to tell

**Author's Note:**

> Day 24: Private Detective AU!
> 
> Ohoho I had fun with this one too. I also make fun of myself, but that’s not the point.

Winter in New York City was harsh and brutal and home to some of the worst crimes the world could commit. Murder being at the top of the list.

Sometimes, the show would come down in sheets of white ice, making it nearly impossible to see and move. The temperatures would drop to inhuman levels, and unless there was a heat source around...well, hypothermia took too many undeserving lives.

While Mother Nature could be cruel at times, the fact that crime never stopped was even worse. Of all the lives that were taken in the winter of 1943, a number of them were unsuspecting people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Private Detectives James Barnes and Steve Rogers, partners both in justice and life, were busy working on a case the day they got a new lead.

James, most commonly known as Bucky to those he's close too, was a man of great renown. His good looks and charm had broads lining up around the corner just to see him and had a keen eye for spotting clues and connections, but what he was most famous for however was his ability to to keep Steve in check.

Steve Rogers was hardly a person who could be kept tame. His spitfire attitude was together his greatest strength as well as his greatest weakness. When he devoted himself to something, he would give it his all. Even if it meant he might not make it out the other side.

Together, Bucky and Steve were the perfect duo. Their determination to both the current matter at hand and to each other equalled out, creating a relationship that could only be compared to two people knowing each other inside and out so well they could be mistaken for sharing the same mind.

Their office was snug, but comfortable, situated up on the 12th floor of Stark Tower. The blinds on the window was shut, but both men could hear the wind howling outside, another winter storm blowing through the city.

The heater rattled dangerously, trying it's hardest to keep the room at a liveable temperature.

"It makes no sense, Buck," Steve huffed as he slammed a fist down on the files blanketing his desk. His hand covered the picture of the latest victim. This was the sixth woman to go missing. "They gotta be out there somewhere."

None of them had any ties to one another. No related family or friends, no similar features. The other thing that connected them was that all the missing persons were young women, generally between the ages of 20 and 30.

Steve and Bucky came to the conclusion that this wasn't just a group of women running away, and that in fact they were being kidnapped. There wasn't any tangle proof to back their theory, hut both of them had felt it in their gut. That this was more than just an ill-timed coincidence.

"They are." Bucky agreed. "And we'll find them."

A frantic knock on the door averted the men's attention from the case. Bucky immediately walked over, rolling up his sleeves before he wrapped his hand around the brass knob and opened the door.

There stood a woman with snow covering her pinned back brunette hair. She was holding her coat tightly to her body, a look of determination etched on her pretty features as she invited herself in without so much as an introduction.

Steve straightened his posture as Bucky closed the door. The woman began to talk.

"You are the detectives working the missing persons case, I presume?" Her voice was just as determined as she looked, but fear flared behind her eyes. She tried hard not to show it. Regal bearings to match her accent.

"Yes." Steve answered, not missing how Bucky crossed his arms. "What's a dame like you doing here so late in weather like this? It's dangerous." Bucky shot him a look.

"My friend, Angie Martinelli." The woman seemed slightly annoyed. "She's been taken."

"Angie Martinelli?" At Bucky's voice, Steve started to shuffle through the case files in front of him. "I don't think I remember seeing that name."

"That's because it hasn't been reported yet! I heard you two were putting more effort into finding these girls more than the NYPD. I figured my chances of finding her would be better with you."

Steve glanced up, his actions coming to a stop. "You're saying she _just_ went missing today?"

"Yes. And she didn't go missing. She didn't run. I'm sure you know that. She was taken. I saw it happen." The woman said firmly.

"Okay ma'am, why don't you take a seat." Bucky offered, pulling back the chair in front of the desk for her, both his and Steve's eyes going wide when they realize this could be the lead they were looking for. "Could you tell us everything you witnessed from the beginning?"

"Call me Peggy, thank you. Peggy Carter." She said as she sat down. Steve settled in his seat, Bucky following his actions next to him. "I was waiting for Angie to get off her shift at the L&L Automat. She had told me that she just had to finish cleaning up, and that she would meet me outside.

"I wasn't waiting more than five minutes when I had heard her voice. I went to go meet her, but she was being forcefully led down the street by another woman I had never met before. She was holding Angie's arm really tight, and speaking too low so I wouldn't be able to hear her. I was afraid that if I yelled out, Angie would get hurt, so I followed them." Peggy sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"The woman must have known I was trailing her and Angie, because she sped up her pace and took too many sharp turns. I should have seen it coming, but it didn't take long for me to lose them between the fast pace and the storm."

"L&L Automat," Bucky muttered as he found the restaurant on the map behind him. "And how far did you follow your friend and this mystery woman?"

"About five blocks. It was getting really dark and hard to see. I can take you."

Peggy stood up as Steve and Bucky did, both men pulling on their coats. "You've already helped us a lot, thank you Ms. Carter. But we can take it from here."

"If you somehow didn't hear me, I remember saying both of you would help _my_ chances of finding her. I came here in the hopes that you would help me, not the other way around. I'm coming with you."

The men quickly realized not to cross Peggy. She had a determination just like theirs when it came to the case, if not stronger. To her, it was personal. She had decided their next move of action: she was going with them.

Traffic was nonexistent as Bucky drove the three of them through the snow covered streets slowly. The storm had gktten so bad, most businesses were shut down and residents were advised to stay indoors.

Peggy was a woman of her own. Getting right to work, she led Steve and Bucky as she retraced her steps of the last time she had sights on her friend, starting from L&L Automat and the three of them ending partially lost in a maze of backstreets and alleys.

"I'm certain this is where I realized I couldn't figure out where they were." Peggy looked around, squinting against the snow that was moving sideways and into her eyes, her hair, coat, and dress blowing behind her as her hands were tucked into her pockets. "Yes. I remember that sign."

She turned toward a wall and directed toward some faded street art. Bucky stepped forward and ran his fingers across the brick. "If I were someone abducting women, where would I take them?" He questioned out loud.

"Hey, that old fabrics warehouse isn't too far from here, is it?" Steve wondered, tilting his head up as to look over the surrounding buildings.

"They tore it down last year," Bucky answered, but even he seemed unsure.

"Did they? You know how New York is." Steve turned towards where Bucky and Peggy were watching him. "It's better than nothing. Where else is a better place to hide than a building set to be destroyed?"

Steve led them as the trio began to run, arms raised to shield them from the storm as they ran against it. The frozen water was coming down hard enough that once they lifted their feet, their footprints would already be gone, leaving no trace of their being there behind.

The warehouse would seem ominous enough without the snowstorm raging around them. Shattered windows and run down wood stared back at them as they squeezed through the padlocked door.

It was dark and cold inside, no light or heat source to be seen. Broken glass littered the ground, and rows of sewing machines were still laying on tables full of cobwebs shimmering from what little moonlight broke through the sheet of ice from outside.

The wind whistled through the building as Steve, Bucky, and Peggy quickly and quietly traversed the building.

Soon, the muffled sounds of sobbing grew louder as they travelled deeper into the warehouse. Speeding up their pace, they followed the noise until they got to the source.

Before them, were a group of seven woman huddled together for warmth. Steve and Bucky quickly looked over their faces, and while some of them were a little worse for wear, they immediately recognized six as the women to go missing. The seventh was who they assumed to be Angie Martinelli. Peggy's hand flying to her mouth and stifling a gasp confirmed their suspicions.

Sweeping the room, they didn't see anyone else. They moved forward, and Angie was the first to notice.

"Hey!" Her eyes went wide, and the other heads snapped their attention to the three of them. "English? I told you guys she'd come for us!" She said with a wide grin.

Peggy dropped down to her knees in front of Angie and began to untie the rope that bound her legs and wrists together.

"Of course."

Steve and Bucky got to work as well. They kept their eyes peeled for the mystery woman as they assured the women that they would get them out of there, unknotting ropes and helping the trembling captives to their feet.

"Stick together," Steve commanded just moments before someone began to cough.

"Detective?" A woman with ginger hair called out. Bucky recognized her as Betty King. Her report came in three days ago. "Some of us have been in here almost a week. We won't be able to make it out there unless you got a cars with enough room for all of us."

It was a tough decision. Bucky didn't want to leave them alone in case their captor came back while they were gone, and Steve agreed, but they had to settle on it. They would have to go to the police and ask for help.

Peggy refused to let Angie leave her side, so th four of them drove through the storm to the nearest police station.

Bucky drove like a mad man as he led the cop cars back to the warehouse. Quickly, him and Steve as well as the officers that accompanied them ushered the women into the cars.

Someone screamed, and Steve saw a shadow getting away. It wasn't any of the women, and he quickly figured out it was the person who had taken them in the first place. She didn't get thirty feet away before she was apprehended and put into a car of her own for questioning.

Back at the police station, Steve and Bucky were congratulated. They made sure Peggy got her recognition for playing a crucial part in the discovery. With a pat on the back and falling into step together, Steve and Bucky began to head back to their car. Despite the storm, they were smiling, plans to go back to their office and celebrate.

Suddenly, muffled by the howling winds, sounds of marching footsteps echoed through the New York streets.

The air turned sinister, and Steve and Bucky stopped and turned toward the marching. A blue-green glow rounded the corner down the street, and focusing their vision through the thick snow, the men saw hundreds of Cybermen making their way in formation down the street—

"Woah! Wait, where are these Cybermen coming from?" Steve asked, confused, as he stared at the people in the room with him.

Snow fell softly down from the night sky through the window, the butterfly curtains pulled aside. The warm light from the bedside lamp cast the room in a soft yellow glow across everyone in it.

"From _Doctor Who_! D _uh_!" Morgan Stark giggled as she hugged the blanket bundled around her, staring up at Steve and Bucky as she leaned back into Peter, who was sitting behind her on her bed against the wall.

Peter laughed as there was nothing but blinks from Steve and Bucky as they sat in their small plastic chairs on the floor across from the bed in the girls bedroom.

"I'm sorry guys, I was the one to show her that show." Peter explained. "Cybermen are kinda a reoccurring bad guy."

"I figured that much," Bucky frowned. "But why add another villain?"

"Yeah." Steve agreed, looking at Morgan, who just shrugged her shoulders. "What was wrong with the happy ending?"

"It was too short!" The girl complained with a grin. "I wanted to set up for a part two!"

"It was a little short," Peter shifted in his spot, picking at lint on his Hello Kitty pajama pants. "And a little rushed."

"Um, excuse me. Who are the people telling the bedtime story here?" Steve countered. "I, for one, think it was a pretty good story."

"Eh, I was always the one with the better imagination. But I let you take the reigns on this one Stevie," Bucky shrugged, chuckling when Steve's jaw dropped and a look of betrayal crossed his face.

"Come on, it wasn't a bad story!" Steve began to argue.

"No, but I wanna know who the person who kidnapped the girls was." Peter wondered.

" _Why_ did she kidnap Angie and the other girls?" Morgan questioned, getting an agreeing nod from Peter.

"The detectives seemed like they got a lot of backstory, for the real hero to be that Peggy lady." Peter pointed out.

"Oh! What happened to Peggy and Angie?"

Bucky and Steve just stared incredulously at the two kids on the bed. Steve didn't think they would get so many questions after they agreed to tell Morgan a story to help her fall asleep. They didn't even bat an eye when Peter tagged along, wanting to hear as well.

"I wanna you to tell a story with the Cybermen!"

"Good night!" Steve suddenly stood up, pulling Bucky with him. "I promised your mother you would be asleep by now Morgan, and if that story didn't do it, I don't know what will!"

Peter just rolled his eyes. "Go guys," he told Steve and Bucky. "I'll tell the next story. It'll be better than yours, don't worry."

" _Nothing_ will be better than our story!"

Steve frowned as he and Bucky left the bedroom, closing the door behind them and hearing the soft voice of Peter beginning to start a story of his own through the wall.

"Come on Buck, maybe we can still join the next game."

"Wait." Steve turned around. "What happened after the Cybermen?" Bucky grinned micheviously, earning a groan from Steve and following him as he started to walk down the hall without him. "I'm curious and wanna know, you can't leave in suspense like that! And also, I think we should watch _Doctor Who_! It sounds cool, whaddya say?"


End file.
